Summit Trail Middle School, Ravensdale WA

Original Research by School Decision on Summit Trail Middle School

Summit Trail Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the Tahoma School District, located in the rural, unincorporated community of Ravensdale in southern King County. Historically a coal mining town, Ravensdale today is a low-density residential area where most residents commute to work elsewhere, and it has experienced population decline in recent years. The school itself sits on the edge of this community, drawing students from a broader area that includes elements of suburban expansion.

The student body is large for a middle school, composed of a predominantly white majority, with Asian students representing the second largest group, followed by smaller shares of Hispanic, two-or-more-races, and Black students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a relatively low concentration of economic disadvantage. Data on students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and English learner status was not provided.

Academically, Summit Trail performs solidly on Washington state assessments. Proficiency rates in English language arts are above the state average across all three middle school grades, with seventh grade reaching the highest level. Math proficiency is moderately strong, with sixth grade somewhat lower than the other two grades. Science, tested only in eighth grade, also shows a strong proficiency rate, consistent with the school’s overall trend.

Relative to other schools in districts across King County, Summit Trail’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, a strong showing. However, because the school only has a single year of proficiency data available, there is no baseline for assessing improvement or decline over time.

The school environment and governance data are limited. There is no information on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance patterns. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not reported. A parent may wish to ask the school about class sizes, elective offerings, and how the school supports students who are struggling.

The housing context for families considering this school is shaped by the economics of King County. The local ZIP code carries a high housing value, reflecting the broader region’s cost pressures. Rents are also high, and mortgage costs outpace rents significantly in the area. Ravensdale itself is not seeing new development; it remains a rural community with limited services. There is no downtown, no library branch, and daily life is car-dependent. The primary civic anchor is Ravensdale Park.

The district that operates Summit Trail, Tahoma School District, has recently taken steps that matter to families. In early 2025, voters approved a large construction bond that will fund classroom additions at all six elementary schools and both middle schools, along with safety upgrades and high school field improvements. This responds to enrollment growth. The district also has an operating levy in place through 2026 that supports mental health counseling, nursing, athletics, and enrichment programs. A district-level “Future Ready” framework adopted in 2021 has driven expanded career and technical education courses at the high school level, including cybersecurity and healthcare pathways that feed into dual-credit and industry certification opportunities.

For a family considering Summit Trail Middle School, the academic picture is one of a school that hits well above most of its county peers on state testing, set in a high-cost rural community with limited amenities but with a district that is investing in facilities and programs. The lack of certain school-level data points makes its own it is worth a direct inquiry to fill in the gaps.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 59% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 66% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 62% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 71% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 778%

School 78% · District 74% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 72% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 68% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolTahoma School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income77%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income68%Higher-income80%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income48%Higher-income78%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income49%Higher-income64%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income76%39 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income68%30 pp gap